The A&R Foundation

06/05/2026

Austin TX! Our fall 2026 Music Business Accelerator applications are now open. We are beyond excited to bring this program back home and cannot wait to get this cohort started in August.

Applications are open now through July 5th, but we only have 30 spots available so make sure to get your application in as early as possible. We expect to notify all selected participants no later than July 12th.

We do not charge any application or program fees. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are able to provide this opportunity at no cost to the community we serve thanks to the generosity of our partners, donors, staff, and the music community, who all play a vital role in subsidizing the costs associated with running the program.

If you are looking to gain the knowledge and skills needed to set up and run your musical project or venture like a business and do it sustainably, this program is for you.

Apply here: https://theanrfoundation.org/music-business-accelerator/

Note: It is best to open the application link in a true web browser.

04/25/2026

We’re heading into week three of our Nashville cohort of the Music Business Accelerator in partnership with Underground Music Collective.

This week’s session focuses on one of the most overlooked but critical decisions a creative entrepreneur can make: how to structure your music business.

It’s easy to treat this as a quick checkbox, but the reality is that the structure you choose impacts everything from taxes and liability to how you get paid and grow. When this decision is made too quickly or without the right context, it can become costly and complicated to fix later.

We’ll be breaking down the different types of business entities, how each one functions, and the key factors to consider when deciding what structure best supports your career as a creative entrepreneur.

04/10/2026

Tomorrow we officially kick off Week 1 of our Nashville Music Business Accelerator cohort in partnership with Underground Music Collective

This marks the first time we’ve taken our programming out of state, and if our onboarding session last week is any indication, it’s going to be an incredible 12 weeks ahead with this group.
We’re starting things off with the ever so subtle art of setting SMART goals.

As creative entrepreneurs, we’re constantly wearing multiple hats, and without a clear framework it can get overwhelming fast. Learning how to organize those priorities in a strategic way is often the difference between burnout and building something sustainable.

Excited to kick off another MBA journey with such a talented group. Let’s get to work.

02/26/2026

"The honesty and transparency I felt from the whole experience? Unmatched."

Soupmakesitbetter is a 2025 graduate of The A&R Foundation 's Music Business Accelerator program -- and it transformed the way he thinks about his music business.

If you're a Nashville-based UnderDog, we're offering this amazing program for FREE once you head to community.umcworldwide.com and join today!

02/12/2026

Last year we had the privilege of running a pilot cohort of our Music Business Accelerator (MBA) program right here in Austin, Texas.

The concept for the MBA actually came about nearly two years ago, before we had officially launched any public programming. In fact, it was originally intended to be our first official program, but after some market research we determined that our one-on-one coaching program was the more appropriate starting point at that time.

Over the course of almost a year, our team worked around the clock to develop and refine the curriculum, partnerships, and overall structure of the MBA program. In April 2025, we welcomed our first official cohort.

The following three months took all of us on an incredible journey of learning, growth, and community building. By all accounts we considered the pilot a success, but as we all know, the numbers help tell the full story.

We are extremely proud to share the official Music Business Accelerator Pilot Program Report. This report outlines the key metrics used to measure the program’s success and provides insight into feedback received directly from cohort participants.

We want to extend a huge thank you to our staff, partners, board, and most importantly the cohort participants who helped make this pilot a success. Because of you, the MBA is now a permanent part of our programming.

In addition to our Nashville pilot this spring, we will be launching our second Austin based cohort later this year. More details will be released in the coming months, but for now feel free to sign up for our email list to receive updates.

We look forward to continuing to serve the Austin music community and helping turn creative passions into sustainable businesses.

02/06/2026

We’ve been a bit quiet lately but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been hard at work! 2025 was a transformative year for our organization, and after successfully completing our Music Business Accelerator pilot here in Austin we found ourselves asking an important question. What comes next?

Continuing to support the Austin music community was always part of the answer. Austin is home, and we have some exciting updates about our local programming coming soon.

At the same time, something unexpected started happening. Word about our organization and the MBA program began spreading beyond Austin. Over the past year we have had the opportunity to attend conferences across the country, connect with incredible organizations, creatives, and city leaders, and have meaningful conversations about the future of the music ecosystem. Those conversations made one thing clear. This work has the potential to impact creative communities on a much larger scale.

Growth is exciting, but it has to be intentional. We are committed to expanding thoughtfully so we can serve the creative community for decades to come.

With that in mind, we are very excited to officially share that we have partnered with our friends at Underground Music Collective to launch our first Nashville Music Business Accelerator cohort this spring, exclusively for their UMC UnderDog community.

We are incredibly grateful to Gerard and the entire UMC team for believing in our mission and the MBA program. Expansion is meaningful, but expansion with mission aligned partners creates real community impact.

We also want to take a moment to recognize everyone who has supported this journey along the way. From community partners and volunteers to staff, board members, and most importantly the creative community we serve, your belief in this work is what makes growth like this possible.

More updates are coming soon. For now, we remain focused on what matters most, helping creatives turn their passions into sustainable businesses and strengthening the communities that support them.

Join the UnderDogs and apply for consideration by Friday, March 6.

08/08/2025

Tomorrow night, we celebrate three and a half months of hustle, growth, and dedication.

Come join us as we recognize the very first graduates of our Music Business Accelerator! Expect great vibes, live music from our talented cohort members, and plenty of opportunities to connect and celebrate.

🎉 Free and open to the public so bring a friend, fellow artist, or music lover!

RSVP now at www.theanrfoundation.org

See you there!

07/24/2025

The journey may be wrapping up, but the celebration is just getting started!

Join us Saturday, August 9th at Captain Quack's Coffeehouse as we celebrate the first graduating cohort of our Music Business Accelerator 🎶

Expect:
✨ Networking
🎤 Live music
🎉 Graduation vibes

Don’t miss it! RSVP now at www.theanrfoundation.org